Goddess Kaleidoscope

Carrying two gondolas, the giant dragon soared into the sky, heading towards the location of the underground city to the north. Watching its departing figure, Lude couldn't help but think of the food delivery guy on Earth.

"Maybe we can consider bringing them both on board to start a logistics company in the future. We're sure to make a lot of money!"

"Your Excellency, what did you just say?"

"Just some muttering to myself, nothing serious. It's getting dark, let's hurry back to the village."

After Nidhogg left, Ludwig and Charlotte, who remained at the camp, rode away on their goat mounts that had failed to evacuate with the group, and finally returned to the village before dark.

Lud conveyed the information he had gathered to Yorn from a distance of more than twenty meters. Then, he returned to the temple with the mushroom samples he had collected, locked himself in the basement, and began to study the mushrooms while isolating himself.

Back in the basement, Ludger first called the three sisters over, took out a sketch of a microscope he had drawn earlier, and after carefully explaining how the device worked, asked them to figure out how to make one for themselves.

He then took out the Book of Ashes and summoned Hydra again, asking her if she knew about the Bluecap Mushroom and whether the Greyscale Clan's lizardmen had ever possessed it. He received an affirmative answer.

“I recognize this. The lizardmen call it the Devil’s Umbrella. Priests use it to make medicine. I used to have a lot of these in my old lair.”

Won't you be affected?

"I don't, and it seems like lizardmen don't either. Creatures with scales aren't affected. Oh, right! Dragons are an exception; they don't hallucinate, but they'll sneeze constantly."

According to Hydra, the spores of this mushroom called the devil's umbrella are selective in their infection targets, primarily affecting warm-blooded animals, while cold-blooded reptiles remain unaffected. Although dragons are reptiles, their body temperature is also warm, so they can also be infected. However, due to their strong resistance, they only exhibit symptoms similar to hay fever.

To combat this fungal infection, Nidhogg obtained a "dragon clan remedy" from an elder: soaking in magma. The high temperature of the magma raises the body's internal temperature, thus killing the bacteria.

The problem now is that, apart from the thick-skinned dragons, it's hard to find another race that could use such a powerful treatment. After all, with the thousands of degrees of heat in magma, not only would fungi die, but even dwarves would be reduced to ashes if they went down into it.

"We need to think of a feasible solution..."

Based on current information, magical remedies with healing and detoxifying properties are not very effective against this type of fungal infection. Lud needs to develop a new targeted drug to suppress these spores.

Soon, the three sisters created the world's first microscope as requested by Rudd. The microscope worked very well, but the only problem was that the three sisters had inherited the dwarves' aesthetic preferences, and the microscope they created was surprisingly large, nearly 1.5 meters tall, requiring Rudd to stand to operate it.

Fortunately, the magnification is really impressive and the clarity is also very high. Considering that the three sisters are genuine goddesses, this giant microscope is definitely a must-have!

With the help of a microscope, Lud finally saw the true appearance of the mushroom spores. He had to admit that the lizardmen's naming was accurate, and the word "devil" was used perfectly; these spores did indeed look rather monstrous.

Those infected inhaled these tiny spores without realizing it, which then entered their bloodstream, giving them a pleasant body odor. Unfortunately, this pleasant smell has strong hallucinogenic effects; otherwise, it would be a godsend for those suffering from body odor.

With the help of a microscope, Lude then began to prepare the reagents, dropping some extracts that inhibited fungal growth onto the spores and then observing the spores' reaction upon contact.

Once we find something that can suppress the spores, the next step is to dilute Aina's tears into it and try to enhance the antibacterial effect.

Lu De was not a doctor in his previous life, but that did not prevent him from creating a unique "Lu De Medicine" based on his own experience.

While Lud was conducting comparative experiments, at the same time, in the dwarven dungeon, the quarantine point had been established. With the help of the dragon, thousands of people from more than a dozen construction teams were isolated in two special areas for observation, categorized as "infected persons" and "contact persons."

The dwarven high priest Winnig had just finished reading the handwritten letter sent by Ludtonid Hogg, and his brows were already furrowed.

It seems that some hostile forces are lurking in this forest, unwilling to let the dwarves reclaim their homeland, and are waiting for an opportunity to strike them!

End of this chapter

In the dungeon, with the arrival of the last dwarven construction team, among the eleven teams that have been brought together, there are 577 confirmed infected individuals, accounting for one-third of the total. Another 170 people are missing, and the remaining nearly 1,000 are all close contacts who also need to be quarantined.

Half of the infected died from attacks by their fellow humans, and the rest were mostly seriously injured, only surviving thanks to the medicine provided by Lud. Many of those who came into contact with them later learned that the "monsters" they had attacked were actually fellow workers of the same race, and the guilt plunged them into deep self-blame.

High Priest Winnig is currently the highest-ranking official in the dungeon. He was supposed to arrive in a few days, but unexpectedly, this sudden incident occurred today. The escort team for Winnig encountered Nidhogg, who was also sending people to the dungeon, on the way, so they hitched a ride with him.

According to Lu Dexin, this was clearly an organized and premeditated "terrorist attack," and the prime suspects were undoubtedly the lizardmen who had once occupied this dwarven dungeon.

Winnig had heard of the Grayscale lizardman clan in Pine Village. A few months ago, under the leadership of the Cult of War, the border settlers and adventurers formed a ragtag coalition to launch a campaign against the Grayscale clan. Although they successfully crippled the enemy and captured the city, a thousand lizardmen still managed to escape.

Therefore, based on the current situation, this incident is very likely an act of revenge by these lizardmen.

Fortunately, the situation was not completely out of control, and the dwarves were not alone.

The night was peaceful, but many were destined to remain sleepless. The dwarves in the dungeon were frantically reinforcing their defenses to guard against a potential second attack.

Meanwhile, at the temple, Lud also worked an all-nighter and finally managed to find several methods that could significantly inhibit the growth of spores.

Contrary to Ludwig's initial expectations, he had thought that these spores that could parasitize dragons would be difficult to deal with. Nidhogg had spent half a month soaking in lava before he successfully killed all the remaining spores in his body.

However, after conducting actual research, Ludwig discovered that these spores react differently to temperature changes. They are most stable between 25 and 35 degrees Celsius, which is the optimal temperature range for growth. Above 35 degrees Celsius, they gradually become more active, with many tentacles extending from their surface, allowing them to move freely in the culture medium and actively move to cooler locations.

When the temperature exceeds 60 degrees or falls below 25 degrees, the spores will stop growing and reacting, and enter a "defensive posture". The surface of the cell will quickly harden to form a heat insulation wall. This defensive wall will only collapse because it cannot withstand the high temperature when the temperature exceeds 90 degrees.

Based on these changes, Lud figured out the infection patterns of the spores. Cold-blooded creatures like reptilians, whose body temperature is below 25 degrees Celsius, are naturally immune because their body temperature is unsuitable for spore growth. Humans and dwarves, along with other warm-blooded animals, are the perfect breeding grounds.

Dragons are quite interesting. They are high-temperature animals. Lude discovered this when he treated Tawawa's injuries. The dragons' body temperature is frighteningly high, and their blood can even be scalding hot.

Lude speculated that dragons' normal body temperature is around 70 degrees Celsius. Therefore, once the spores enter their bodies, they immediately enter a state of autism. However, the spores in this mode still stubbornly maintain their survival. So, the dragon's super-powerful immune system will remind the brain by "constantly sneezing" that "dirty stuff" has entered the body and that it should quickly find a way to deal with it.

Therefore, experienced dragons would find a volcano crater, dive into the scalding lava and take a bath, temporarily raising their body temperature to over 90 degrees Celsius, thus achieving a kind of "internal sterilization" effect.

According to Nidhogg himself, apart from the frost dragons, all of their dragon lineage are experts in heat resistance, especially the fire-type red dragons. They have a unique skill that allows them to perish together with their opponent, using magic to raise their internal temperature to three times the temperature of magma within seconds, and then self-destruct on the spot.

However, humans and dwarves are not dragons and cannot easily raise their body temperature to over 90 degrees Celsius. Therefore, after careful consideration, Lud believed that they should make the most of the "active state" in the temperature range of 35 to 60 degrees Celsius to force the spores out of the infected person's body!

In addition, during a series of previous tests, Lud also discovered that solutions of many strongly flavored spices, such as chili peppers and garlic, could also repel the spores. Thus, a special "detoxification therapy" gradually took shape in Lud's mind...

Pine Tree Village is currently under lockdown. Four construction teams and some adventurers have been forcibly quarantined. Among them, 55 people have been confirmed to have been infected by the Blue Mushroom. The number is less than that in the dungeon. Moreover, because the teams withdrew in a timely manner, the infected people were isolated before the impact began.

These infected dwarves were kept in solitary confinement in separate huts, guarded by dwarven guards wearing "holy masks." It was supposed to be isolation, but many felt it was like being imprisoned.

Fortunately, the average level of education among dwarves is relatively high, so the proportion of troublemakers is also lower. The infected dwarves have been clearly informed of the potential harm they may cause to those around them, so they consciously accept isolation and do not shout "freedom" and then do anything very stupid.

Despite their awareness, fear continued to spread rapidly among the infected. The spores constantly multiplying in their blood were themselves a "time bomb," destined to burst forth sooner or later; the prospect of slowly dying was far from pleasant.

Barry, the dwarf, was one of the fifty-five infected individuals and previously belonged to the second logging team. On the day of the incident, Barry and another coworker discovered a rotten tree trunk near the construction site, on which many fragrant blue mushrooms were growing.

Barry loved mushroom soup. He noticed that squirrels were also eating the mushrooms and seemed perfectly fine, so he concluded that the brightly colored mushrooms were probably not poisonous. He picked some to save for soup that evening.

Before he could finish picking the mushrooms, the construction team received a signal to urgently retreat to the rear. Barry only learned during the investigation that the mushrooms were problematic. But it was too late for regrets; Barry and other dwarf workers who had come into contact with the mushrooms were all quarantined.

Before entering the "single cell," Barry surrendered most of his personal belongings, leaving only a few small items that could not be used for escape or suicide, including a small and exquisite wood carving.

Barry was a believer who had been baptized five days prior by High Priest Winnig, becoming a follower of the Three Goddesses of Craftsmanship. According to Winnig's doctrine, the three goddesses are a unified whole, and believers should worship all three and receive their blessings simultaneously.

However, in Barry's heart, he actually preferred the youngest of the three sisters, Lachesis, to the more mature and beautiful eldest sister Atropos and the energetic second sister Clotho. He felt that this little goddess was very cute and much more to his liking than her two older sisters.

So he carved a statue of Lachesis himself and placed it on the windowsill facing the sun. He prayed devoutly every day and would carefully wipe it with a cotton cloth from time to time. Thanks to his faith in the god, Barry had a relatively peaceful time these past two days and did not suffer as much as his other fellow inmates.

On the third day after being confined to a solitary cell, Barry, who was wiping the idol, suddenly heard footsteps at the door, and an old human man wearing a mask walked in.

Barry recognized the man; he was a priest of the local Medicine God Cult and was highly respected among humans. Barry had previously seen this important figure sitting with the clan chief and others from afar when he and his friends went to see the play "Romeo and Juliet."

Normally, the Bari, who worship the three goddesses of craftsmanship, do not need to pay homage to pagan priests. However, when the high priest Winnipeg baptized them, he said that the three goddesses were allies with the local gods of medicine and love, and that the goddesses belonged to a divine organization called the Pantheon. Therefore, Rudd was their allied sect, and the believers were all one family.

So after a slight hesitation, Barry still obediently bowed.

Good evening, Your Excellency.

Good evening, child. How have you been feeling these past few days? Have you been experiencing any discomfort or discomfort anywhere?

"No, your medicine is very effective."

According to previous findings, while Evelina's tears cannot eliminate the spores in the infected's bodies, they can inhibit their spread. Therefore, the infected who are isolated must drink a cup of diluted medicine with each of their three meals a day. Otherwise, if they just wait for three days, even if they are not beaten to death by those around them because of the "taunting effect" given by the spores, mushrooms should have grown by now.

After entering the room, Ludwig first asked Barry a few simple questions. Then he noticed the wooden statue of a deity on the windowsill and couldn't help but take a few more glances at the exquisite statue.

"The craftsmanship is excellent, and it's clear that you've poured a lot of faith into it. The goddess will bless those who are devout."

Hearing Lud's praise, Barry scratched his head a little embarrassed. Lud looked him up and down and then said...

“Barry, I think you should know that those of you who have been in contact with the devil's umbrella mushroom have a large number of spores parasitizing your bodies. This is not a poison in the traditional sense, so conventional antidotes are basically ineffective against it. Special treatments are required to cure it. I just took a walk around the quarantine area, looking for the first batch of volunteers to receive treatment. You are a person of faith, so I hope you can participate, but I will not force you. Are you willing?”

Upon hearing Ludwig mention "special treatment" and "volunteers," a series of terrifying images flashed through Barry's mind.

He recalled a few years ago when he went to see a dentist who was supposedly very experienced. He thought that the old expert's treatment wouldn't hurt much, but he was first tricked into sitting on a reclining chair with restraints, and then he was horrified to see the old dwarf pull out such a huge hammer.

From that moment on, he never believed the doctor's nonsense again.

However, Barry also knew that he had contracted a strange disease and could not keep delaying it. He had to receive treatment as soon as possible in order to survive.

So after much hesitation, Barry gritted his teeth and decided to take a gamble!

"I...I'll volunteer."

“Very good, you are very brave, child. Come with me.”

Led by Ludd, Barry left his solitary confinement cell and went to the middle of the isolation area. This place was originally a neatly arranged open space, but now there were some buildings. Barry saw someone making a fire and smelled a food aroma he had never smelled before, which seemed to be some kind of roasted meat.

"Does this mean we have to eat before starting treatment?"

With this question in mind, Barry went to a restaurant where he met four other volunteers willing to receive the special treatment. Ludd asked them to sit down and wait a moment, as the formal treatment would begin shortly.

As soon as Barry sat down, the dwarf next to him greeted him in a low voice.

"Young man, what's your name?"

"My name is Barry, what's yours?"

"Call me Aiger, from the First Road Construction Team."

The dwarf named Egg was a very talkative fellow, and he casually recounted his unfortunate experiences to Barry. Unlike Barry, who was isolated before he even developed symptoms after being infected, Egg had actually been severely beaten.

他当时在工地上看到了那种蓝色的蘑菇，就随脚踢飞了几个，结果被飞溅的孢子感染，让十几个发了疯的工友按在地上一顿暴揍，一边打他还一边大喊大叫着“我并不爱他”、“胯下用力”，鬼知道这群家伙都在幻觉中都看见了什么鬼玩意儿。

With Aiger taking the lead, the other three dwarf volunteers also started talking about their experiences of being beaten up. One of them even lifted his shirt to show Barry his belly, pointed to the area on his left side, and said that there was a clear hole there, and that he only survived thanks to the magic medicine.

Perhaps it was because of their near-death experience that these dwarf brothers have become indifferent to life and death, choosing to volunteer for special treatments.

As the group was chatting, a strong aroma wafted in from outside the door. The five dwarves immediately turned their gazes in that direction and saw one or two human chefs carrying a plate with a massive, astonishing "mountain of meat" piled on it.

"Oh! This last meal is quite good!"

Looking at the delicious food in front of him, Aiger made a joke, but Barry couldn't laugh at all.

The last meal... that's such an unlucky saying!

The fragrant mountain of meat was brought to the dwarves, and they then realized that the mountain of meat was actually a mountain of meat skewers. But what really surprised them was the abundance of various spices on the skewers, so much of which spilled onto the plate, leaving them speechless with its extravagance.

It's important to understand that this world is limited by underdeveloped agriculture, and spices have not yet shed their "luxury" status. Especially in the northern part of the continent, many spices cannot be grown locally and have to be transported from distant places of origin, which causes prices to skyrocket to an alarming level.

So for the local working class, eating meat might not be the most difficult thing; what was even more difficult was access to spices. For ordinary families, marinating the meat with salt and sprinkling it with some herbal juice to remove the fishy smell was already considered a very sophisticated approach when making roasted meat.

"Goodness! Is this how noble gentlemen eat?"

The dwarves were clearly taken aback by this "extraordinary treatment," while Lud observed their expressions with great interest. He thought to himself, no wonder that many protagonists in novels who transmigrate to another world can fool the natives with street food like "kebabs," which Earthlings would consider low-class. The key isn't the meat, but the generous amount of spices on top.

This made Lud secretly congratulate himself on making a brilliant move. He had been planning to add a fertility shrine to Aina, and he had finally achieved this thanks to those bountiful experimental subjects and the spice crops that had been cultivated. The skewers the dwarves were eating now were the "miracle" he had grown on the spot that morning.

However, although it has gained recognition, this recognition is limited to the few thousand villagers of Songshu Village. It can be considered as digging up a little bit of the corner of the Earth Mother Goddess's wall. There is still a long way to go before it can truly replace her.